Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-10-16
DAILY HERALD.
THE WIDOWS DAUGHTER.
How <sBiily BOxviegs'' Saved His
gInCOm-Tnle Of the Dark Days.

-Oltk GdNalEY, was az llNattehs eNfN> = ,
Md, to obtain remount, word was
received by the Post Commander that
n Confederate scout named William
Baxter, but who was known to us as
"Billy Bowlegs," was on visit to his
mother. who lived between the Po-
tomac at that point and a village in
Virginia called Uniontown. Tsere
were number OF Colonel Kane's
ssBucktails" scouting for the Federals
and making Pleasant Valley their
headouarters, and as had been de-
tailed on several occasions for scout
service, and had made good record,
l was instructed to select five men and
cross the river and secure .'Billy,"
dead or alive. The fact that he was
at home was fully established, and the
location of the farm house was known
to two of tbsmen who accompanied
me. We were ferried across the Poto'
plIsc one evening at dusk Just where
the long highway bridge had been
burned, and then we had a walk o.
about eleven miles to make.
Although BILLY Bowlegs" was q
fearless man and handy shot, we
didn't figure that it would need hive
men to capture Tim. The country be-
tween the river and Uniontown was
then overrun with bushwhackers ana
gaerrillas, and we anticipated more OF
less trouble with them.
The scout had been twice captured
by the federals, and he was described
to us as slender build, medium height,
fair complexion and dark eyes.
Enough was known about his nerve
to know that he would not be taken
alive if he had any show to fight, and
therefore, as we approached the house
about midnight from across field,
we were anxiously wondering how
we should get at him. If we knocked
at the door he would be alarmed and
have time TO arm himself. Ii we
broke in we might; and probably
should, find him III bed. 1t was
still, clear night, rather cold, and we
hung about half an hour before adopt
ing a plan. Then we decided to break
in the doors. Two OF us went to the
front and two to the back door, while
the fifth man stood ready to receive
the scout in case he dropped from a
second-story window supposed to be in
his bedroom. We crept softly up,
and at a signal both doors were burst
-. No, they weren't! Neither OF
them gave an inch under the pressure,
and in response to the efforts We made.
a woman's voice called out:
"Who is it, and what's wanted 7"
"Open the door or we'll break it
down."
"Wait one minute !"
She struck a light and we heard her
moving about, and in couple OF
minutes the front door was opened
and gray-haired woman of 45 stood
there with candle in her hand.
"Union soldiers, eh? come right
in,n she said, smiling as IL glad to
see us.
/ posted three OF the men around
the house and entered With the other; ,,
ant as soon as was inside I said:
"Madam, we have come for your
son. We know he is here. We shall
take him dead or alive"
s'Oh, you have come for Billy, have
you?, exclaimed a girl about Is years
of age, who came running down stairs
at that moment. excuse me, gen.
tlemen, for not being fully dressed,
but you see you didn't send us any
word"
She laughed in a merry way, while
the mother smiled good-naturedly.
She had on a neat-ftting calico dress,
a ribbon at her throat, and except
that her hair looked "tumbled," she
looked as we'll epared as if she ex-
pected our coming.
eyes, Jennie, they want Billy"
said her mother, as she placed the
candle on a stand.
"And we are bound to take him,
dead or alive" l added in a loud
voice, suspecting the scout was within
ahe ring.
ooh, how sorry!" laughed the girl.
eff brother Rilly had only known you
were coming! But he didn't, you see,
and so he went away at dark. He'll
never forgive himself-never!"
"We must search the house" l said.
''Oh, certainly. Nanny, you light
another candle and I'll show the gen
tlemen around. Perhaps the sight OF
Billy's old clothes will do 'em good"
Well, sir, we hunted that house
from attic to cellar, and all we found
was an old suit OF Billy's clothes. The
scout had skipped, and the best could
do was to apologize to mother and
daughter, accept a midnight luncheon
at the hands OF the latter, and take
the back track for the river. I'll own
up, too, that 1 was "dead gone" on
Jennie before l left. and that l said to
ne, Us l squeezed her hand at part
ing:
'WIte I.en the war is over I'm coming
to ask you to be my wife,
"And-and I'll say-say yes" she
whispered in my ear.
We got back to the ferry soon after
daylight, and there met a Union
farmer living nelghbor to the widow.
When he hears what we had been up |
to he asked:
"Was the widder all alone?"
"No; her daughter Jennie was
there"
"Her daughter Jennie Describe
her."
Good looking girl of medium
height, black eyes and hair, and a
sweet talker. I'm going back to
marry her after the war is over"
"Bet you farm you don't! That
ar gal Jennie was nobody else but
that ar scout, Billy Bowlegs! He jist
jumped into some of his mammy's
clothes, and you pigheads couldn't
see into itn'
He was right. met Billy in Har-
per's Ferry after the war, and he |
wanted to know if l had taken out the |
marriage license yet.-LPress.
vrrs Clevalund at Chnrcy,